erica's abdominoplasty blog

Two Years, nearly 4 Months

Erica — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:33:46 +0000

Here I am again. Updating. Another thankful reader inspired me to update the blog. Every few weeks I get an email from one of you that reminds me how worthwhile creating this blog was. It makes me so proud and happy that someone, let alone several someones, can read this blog and have it make a difference. So thank you all — I know it’s been a while, but as you can read below, it’s been a busy year! I’m newly (6 months..) married, our house is just over a year old and I’m happily a Master’s program graduate!

Next stop? Babies. Unfortunately, I’ve also gained weight again. I’m officially 20 pounds over my WW goal. (STRESSEATINGWHAT?). But really. It’s going to come off again. I’m solidly out of my 8’s and my 10’s are getting tight. Not funny. This weight thing is always going to be a struggle huh? Lame. But I know I’ll get there. Since we’re thinking of having kids, I’m hoping I can keep the weight under control and then lose it all when the baby arrives. Maybe I’ll be more motivated to get off the baby weight right? Let’s hope. For now, I struggle everyday to curb those bad, nasty, old habits. And develop the newer, healthier ones. Wish me luck.

As you can see, my scar is healing up nicely as well as my belly button. The scar is virtually invisible.. and I hardly remember it’s there at all to be honest. I hope you all have just as much success as I did in my surgery… my life is completely changed, I hope yours is too.

There’s an update on my gallery page. (Link also at right side of page.)

Also, I’ve had to turn commenting off because I was getting way too much SPAM.. sorry folks!

1 Year, 4 Months

Erica — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 01:02:35 +0000

Ok. So finally here’s an update. I know I know I know… I suck. It’s been a crazy year. New job, new house, new engagement! The last thing I’ve been thinking about is my tummy. Which is evident in the 10 pounds I’ve gained and can’t seem to get off again. I know that doesn’t sound like much to most people, but it makes a difference to me. But I’m not worried because I know that it’s all in me. And when the time is right I know I’ll do it. Hopefully before the wedding right?!?

I’m still so pleased with the results of my surgery. It was one of the best things, next to losing the weight in the first place, that I’ve ever done for myself. The scar is healing nicely, it’s almost invisible in spots. I still have slight numbness around the bellybutton and the top/front area of my thighs. And I’m still LOVING my new bellybutton.

Good luck to anyone out there looking into surgery. I enjoy hearing from all of you and wish you the results that you dream of. It’s not as scary as a lot of things on the Internet and TV make it sound. Go for it! I don’t regret it for a minute.

There’s an update on my gallery page. (Link also at right side of page.)

9 Weeks Post-Op

Erica — Tue, 12 Jul 2005 13:57:18 +0000

Hey guys. 9 weeks today! Who would have thought!? It seems like a million years ago and yesterday all at the same time. I’m feeling pretty good in terms of recovery. The swelling comes and goes. But I deal with it as best I can. The scar looks like it’s getting lighter… I really see an improvement in some parts. I’m pretty much back to all my activities, not really having any problems. The only time I feel held back by it is when I have to make a long stretch. It doesn’t hurt, but I feel it pulling on the incision in a strange way. Other than that, I’m back at frisbee, jogging, climbing, kickball, biking… you name it.

One problem I’m deal with right now, not exactly surgery related, is still my weight. I’ve creeped back up to 155 which isn’t exactly where I want to be. I feel happy around 152-153. And I know that doesn’t sound like a lot of difference, but it is to me. So right here and now, I’m committing to myself and you people to get back on the wagon. No more “oh I deserve this” or “I worked out, this is okay.” Got it!? And if you see me slipping.. hold me to it!

But in good news, I started to go shopping and I’m so giddy because I’m a solid size 8! Hooray!

There’s an update on my gallery page. (Link also at right side of page.)

6 Weeks Post-Op

Erica — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 03:00:49 +0000

I think I’m losing it! Today I went in to my PS on a whim. My swelling started to look more “fluid” than usual. So I called and they got me in at the end of the day. He tapped at my belly and said “Oh yeah, there’s some fluid in there.” So he took out this huge syringe and needle, laid me on my side and tried to extract the fluid out with the needle. He poked around for about two minutes. This way and that — then that way and this. Nothing. The nurse even helped. Let’s throw a “stab-erica-in-the-tummy-party!” I’ll see him in about another six weeks and we can look at it again then. He explained it could be some edema where the tissues and fat are swelling and keeping in all the fluid. If it doesn’t go down and my body doesn’t absorb it on its own, he might have to go in and fix it. We didn’t talk about exactly say WHAT this work consisted of but he said something about removing the problem tissues/fat under local anesthesia in his office. Revisions are common, so I shouldn’t be surprised that it could happen. I won’t know for a while, so there’s no use in worrying about it for now. I hope my body decides to just “suck it up” before then!

There’s a six week update on my gallery page. (Link also at right side of page.

5 1/2 weeks Post-Op

Erica — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 19:33:32 +0000

Just a quick update here for anyone checking in. Everything is going well. I really don’t have many complaints. The swelling is worse lately than it used to be. I get paranoid about trapped fluid and seroma. But I think it’s the standard swelling and I shouldn’t get my panties in a twist about it. The part of my belly above the incision but below my belly button is the worst. I still average about 38″ in the morning and 39 1/2″ by night. But that inch and a half is so minimal, only I can really notice. I’m pretty much binder free at this point. I put it on sometimes at night if I feel I need a little extra support or if I’m feeling a little puffy. But other than that, I go without. I think “needing” it was all in my head. I don’t swell any more or less without it. But it does help reduce the swelling once it’s there.

I can exercise again! That’s the newest and biggest improvement. I went indoor rock climbing this past Sunday and on Tuesday I played on my ultimate frisbee team. Both went really well. Rock climbing was a lot easier than I expected. The stretching didn’t pull on anything, and I didn’t hit my tummy on anything like I was worried about. Frisbee was as hard as I thought it would be. Running at top speed after two months of doing nothing isn’t fun. The only thing I noticed that was strange was a little bit of a tingling in my tummy. I assumed it was just blood rushing to areas that hadn’t done much for a while. Afterwards I wasn’t particularly sore or swollen. I went home and slept in my binder, and that might have helped. I have to say that it feels REALLY good to be back in that grove. The weight issue is still hard, and I want to combat all the BBQ/Graduation/Wedding calories that I’ve been putting in my face. No excuses! Be accountable! So here’s to being the most
healthy I can be!

As always, there’s an update on my gallery page. (Link also at right side of page.)

4 Weeks, 2 days Post-Op

Erica — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 12:27:49 +0000

Look! It’s a belly button. Like a real one. One that isn’t covered by blob of skin hanging over it. As you can imagine, I’m pleased. My old belly button somewhat looked like a hot dog bun taped to my tummy. No joke!

Things are good otherwise. I’m still wearing my binder most of the time. The longest I’ve gone without it was yesterday. I had it off from the time I went to work, until I put it back on when I got home about 11pm. At that point, I felt like the Goodyear blimp. I took my measurement and it was 39 1/2″. So, I guess it feels worse than it actually is. The part that’s uncomfortable is that the scar is inflexible, and when the skin around it swells, it pushes on the incision. But that’s about it!

One concern right now is weight. I weighed in about 152 at WW this week — which is really good! But this morning I was already at 153. Who knows if that’s real weight or swelling, but it concerns me none-the-less. I used to stay around 155, give or take a pound. So, really, I’m on target. If you work in the 3 1/2 pounds they cut off me, that’s about right. But I’m worried that being so inactive is going to creep that number up. I get so worried about being out of control and I tend to freak out. I’m watching my points carefully (TRYING to stick to them…) and have to remember I don’t have the luxury of a splurge because I’m not active right now. I’m soooo looking forward to getting back to sports, I know it will make all the difference. I think I’m going to try rock climbing this weekend, and soon I’ll try the elliptical at the gym. And after about two more weeks, I think I’ll try jogging or frisbee. Wish me luck!

There’s an update on my gallery page. (Link also at right side of page.)

3 weeks, 1 day Post-Op

Erica — Wed, 01 Jun 2005 16:05:18 +0000

I can’t decide what to do with this binder. The relationship is totally Love/Hate. I feel safer and more held in with it on, but more uncomfortable and bulky. Yesterday was 3 weeks, and Dr. Foley said it was okay to take it off after that long. So I did. I felt pretty good all day, but had a lot more swelling at night. Today I woke up more swollen than normal. I generally measure about 38″ around my hips and largest part of my tummy. By nightime that could easily be 39 1/2″ or 40″. This morning I was already almost 39″. But I still went to work without it on. I feel like I’m relying too much on it, and I have to get used to not having it some time. But just now, in the bathroom I looked huge and puffy. Luckily I have it with so I put it back on. Arg! It’s so hard to know what to do when I’ve never gone through this before.

3 weeks Post-Op

Erica — Tue, 31 May 2005 20:48:54 +0000

Today is three weeks since surgery. I’m feeling pretty good. I decided to try going without my binder for the day. So far, so good. It feels a little strange due to the numbness and I feel a bit insecure without it. As far as swelling goes, I may be swelling just a tad more than usual too. Depending how I feel tonite, I may or may not go back to the binder for tomorrow. I really would like to break the habit and not rely on it so much.

This weekend was really good for me. The fatigue is getting less with every day. I even went for a bike ride and planted my garden. I know I’m supposed to take it easy, but I couldn’t help it! And I can’t say I faired any worse because of it either. So I’m on my way to getting back to physical activity! Yippee!

Top Ten Tummy Tuck Tips

Erica — Fri, 27 May 2005 20:02:43 +0000

10. Cough Drops and Alavert There is nothing worse than sneezing and coughing after a tummy tuck. Do everything in you powers to avoid it. When you do, it feels like you’re ripping your insides out, one staple at a time. Immediately followed by a horrible burning.

9. Milking The Drains Milk Milk Milk! It may seem gross, but keep up on it. The more you get out of there, the sooner they can remove the stupid things. It’s not like you’re too busy anyway, you’re just sitting there — so milk!

8. Make Me Heal Forum I don’t know what I would have done without the forum. So many inspiring stories and helpful people. Don’t be afraid to ask any question, someone somewhere can relate and help you out! Click here for to visit the MakeMeHeal.com.

7. Take Your Pain Meds Stay ahead of the pain. Take your pain meds regularly. If you let them wear out of your system, you won’t have a fun time catching up. This is especially important for the first 3-4 days.

6. Running Pants I lived in my Adidas running pants. Their elastic waist band, pockets and lining were perfect!

5. Bromelain This natural supplement reduces inflammation and helps with the swelling. As an added bonus, it’s good for people with allergies. It’s made from pineapple so it’s natural and safe, Dr. Foley approved it for me. Click here for information from WholeHealthMD.com.

4. Nextcare Tape This stuff is a lifesaver! After your stitches and staples are out, you’ll need to keep your incision covered with medical tape. The First Aide tape I tried first was too inflexible and hurt to remove. Then I found Nexcare at my local Walgreen’s. It’s soft, flexible and completely waterproof. It doesn’t even budge in the shower. I think it’s the same brand Dr. Foley used, but his was white! Click here for information from Drugstore.com.

3. Recliner After spending day after day in my little recliner nest, I came to love it. It helped me be independent and gave me all the support I needed to be comfortable. I could NOT have laid in bed for the first week, no matter how many pillows. I even went back to it after one night that I tried the bed. I ended up using it until I went back to work, so, a week and two days.

2. Loving Boyfriend If you can get a sweet nurse like mine, do it. I couldn’t have made it the first two days without someone there to place my pillows, drain my drains, give me my meds, get me things and pop in movies for me! And if he’s your sweet boyfriend, all the better.

1. Babywipes The uses are limitless! My favorite is giving myself a birdbath for the ten days I couldn’t shower. They also come in handy for taking off makeup and cleaning your face, wiping up after you drain your drains and general freshening up. My favorite tip by far.

2 weeks, 2 days Post-Op

Erica — Fri, 27 May 2005 01:48:15 +0000

Well things are pretty good. One slightly disappointing thing is upon further investigation, I have loose skin. It’s only apparent when I lean forward at a ninety degree angle. At that point my skin falls completely away from my body. Part of me thinks this is just skin that needs time to reattach to my muscles. The other part of me knows that it’s damaged skin that really isn’t going to go away on it’s own. I talked to Dr. Foley today and he said to give it time. It will tighten up on it’s own a little. Some of it may be fluid build up and stored fat pockets. He wants to see me in three months, so we can take a better look at it then. I’m tight from top to bottom, I can’t even pinch an inch. But from left to right, I have some give. Dr. Foley said this was because I was so overweight that I stretched it out width wise, and that wasn’t resolved with the tummy tuck which just pulled my extra skin down. To take care of the extra skin from left to right, they would have needed to removed a section of my tummy in the middle, and then sewed it together. That would have left me with a large vertical scar from below my belly button to above it. That doesn’t sound like much fun to me. So, I’m happy with my results. But I’m also realistic that I will never be completely tight. I don’t want to invest in a million different surgeries to be “perfect.” The problem I went in for is taken care of. And I’m THRILLED with my results. The most important thing is that all that extra hanging skin is gone and I can wear my clothes with confidence. This minor hanging skin that I have now is not worth worrying about. Only me and a select few people will ever see it. But as a warning to people getting a tummy tuck, be realistic about your expectations.

There’s an update on my gallery page. (Link also at right side of page.)